Cleopatra 1938

Rita Angus made this painting, Cleopatra, with oil on canvas, and look at the process in the brushwork! The color palette is limited, but oh so rich. I am drawn to the way the artist uses flat planes of color to define form, like the cool teal of the background setting off the warm tones of the sitter’s skin and hair. I love the sharp contours of the face, the simplification of the features. There is an almost poster-like quality to the work, but with a surprising amount of depth. I see the physical presence of the artist through the thin layers of paint and how the visible brushstrokes and textures create a sense of immediacy and intimacy. Cleopatra's stylised flatness is interesting in the context of artists like Alex Katz, who also explore flatness and simplified forms, even though their subject matter and approaches are quite different, there is something of the same spirit in the interest in shape and outline. Ultimately, this painting celebrates the power of art to transform the world around us, opening new ways of seeing and experiencing.